Sump: Bioballs vs Live rock

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dirtdobber06

New member
I have a 120 FOLR tank that has 5 chromis, 2 clowns, 1 watchman goby, feather duster, a few ghost shrimp and three blue leg crabs. I have a sump with bioballs in it right now and a PM protein skimmer. Maybe 75# of live rock in DT. Has been running about 7 months now. Wanted to see a discussion of what people think about Bioballs vs liverock in the sump. Coral for this tank is financially a long way of fdue to cost of lighting (and I have a 29 ga that Im researching and working towards corals). Water changes every 2-3 weeks (15 ga.) Have some red slime that didn't go away after 2 treatments with slime treatment. Parameters: NH3, NO2, NO3, Phosphate=0, pH 8.2, dKH= 13, Calcium was >500. Just installed RO/DI filter but havent had time to do h20 Changes with it yet.

Bioballs vs Liver rock in sump?
 
The bioballs are very good at what they do, reduce ammonia to Nitrates. Since this is a FOwLR tank. I would stick with the bioballs. LR isnt bad, just pricey and in this instance not necessary. Judging by your parameters it seems like everything is working pretty well. You know the saying "If it aint broke"
 
Re: Sump: Bioballs vs Live rock

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15130765#post15130765 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dirtdobber06
I have a 120 FOLR tank that has 5 chromis, 2 clowns, 1 watchman goby, feather duster, a few ghost shrimp and three blue leg crabs. I have a sump with bioballs in it right now and a PM protein skimmer. Maybe 75# of live rock in DT. Has been running about 7 months now. Wanted to see a discussion of what people think about Bioballs vs liverock in the sump. Coral for this tank is financially a long way of fdue to cost of lighting (and I have a 29 ga that Im researching and working towards corals). Water changes every 2-3 weeks (15 ga.) Have some red slime that didn't go away after 2 treatments with slime treatment. Parameters: NH3, NO2, NO3, Phosphate=0, pH 8.2, dKH= 13, Calcium was >500. Just installed RO/DI filter but havent had time to do h20 Changes with it yet.

Bioballs vs Liver rock in sump?
Click to expand...

hi-welcome to the forum :) if the tank is definately going to remain fish only then theres no need to worry too much about bio-balls, they can and probably will produce nitrate in your system but unless its fairly high the fish wont mind too much, however if you do decide to add corals then really they will need removing, and if so do it slowly over a period of time and add some cured rock instead so it can take over as filteration.

[welcome]
 
While the bio-balls don't hurt a FOLR tank, there is a benefit (lower nitrates) to switching them out gradually to live rock. Not a big deal either way, but I would make the switch if it were my tank.
 
A question, am I supposed to put a piece of live rock in my box where the bioballs are. I just got a new-used 75 gal not sure what kind of sump it is just a 20 gallon tank with box with bioballs. Going to start putting it together. Have a 30 gallon with about 30 lbs live rock. have a few mushrooms and zena tree in my tank now going to transfer clowns over and coral banded shrimp. not sure how to do this all. going with sand in this new tank.
 
Yes, put pieces of live rock in the sump where the bio-balls are. It would be great is you could find fully cured live rock. If you are moving the contents of your 30 into the 75, I would first cycle the 75 (leave space for whatever you are bringing over from the 30).
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15142730#post15142730 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by catie2
Ican buy cured live rock at the local fish store. How much live rock should I put in a 75 gallon.
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depends on what your plans are, if its going to be a mixed reef with just a few small fish and the rock is the main filteration then id say 100 pounds, if a fish only tank with plenty of swimming space then 50 may well be enough
 
I guess the reason im contemplating switching is I want to have a refugium where I can grow some copepods. I eventually want to get a mandarin goby. I have some pods i got from a friend growing in the 29 ga. I havnt decided if I want to put the mandarin in the 29 or 120. The 29 is a few months older. My girlfriend and I have a beautiful gold and maroon clown and a pseudochromis in the 29 along with some yellow polyps, clover polyps, two peppermint shrimp and a green mushroom.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15145654#post15145654 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dirtdobber06
I guess the reason im contemplating switching is I want to have a refugium where I can grow some copepods. I eventually want to get a mandarin goby. I have some pods i got from a friend growing in the 29 ga. I havnt decided if I want to put the mandarin in the 29 or 120. The 29 is a few months older. My girlfriend and I have a beautiful gold and maroon clown and a pseudochromis in the 29 along with some yellow polyps, clover polyps, two peppermint shrimp and a green mushroom.
Click to expand...


I am pretty new to saltwater but from everything I've read, unless you can get a mandarin to eat mysis shrimp, you need a tank size of at least 90 gallons to keep one alive. So I wouldn't even consider the 29.
 
In agreement with Kur. If you can very luckily get a Mandarin to take prepared food, it might be worth a shot, but they are pretty hard to get them to eat. They need a well established tank with lots of live rock and at least a few inches of sand to keep a healthy pod population
 
Don't use either in your sump. They only collect goop and will just add to your nitrate problem after time. Put you live rock in the DT.
 
First day I got my Biocube, I ditched the balls and filled up the middle and right compartments with liverock rubble. The tank has went off and looks great. Natural is the way to go IMO.
 
I think people use and interchange the words and technology of a sump and refugium way too much. They are two different things - at least two different compartments.
If you use rubble for mechanical filtration it is just going to lead to problems down the road.
Rock in a sump is OK if you filter the drain water in a filter sock or something before it gets to your rubble.
 
I often read folks arguing that bioballs are bad...that they add nitrate. How is that bad? It seems that the argument is that they only do the first two steps of the nitrogen cycle -- ammonia --> nitrite AND nitrite --> nitrate. But that is supposed to happen--we want the nitrogen cycle. I would think, then, that the next step is having a DSB or something else that does the last step Nitrate-->Nitrogen gas.

Bioballs seem to take you some of the way through the nitrogen cycle and other things take you the rest of way. It's not like the produce something BAD like phosphate or silicates--they act within the known cycle we want to encourage.

Am I missing something here?
 
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